This is a wonderful book about how people react when faced with unspeakable tragedy. Some join together to help while some hinder the effort. Others remain unflappable while some fall totally apart and cannot cope. Sadness, anger, disbelief, withdrawal, all are parts of the grief process. This book is about an air disaster. It takes you into the lives of several of the lost passengers and shows how their survivors interact with and influence each other. Each deals with the tragedy in his own way, influenced by background and constitution. The search for survivors and the discovery of their belongings has a unique effect on each of them. Some find a greater purpose in their lives and some lose it. Their exploration and development make them truly human rather than mere descriptive words on paper. I would not have chosen this book if it was not on my book club's reading list, because of the subject matter, but I thought it was really good and I am glad I read it. Because I do not like flying, I was very leary about reading the book but it did not inhibit me further nor did it encourage me to go running off on a trip.